Today is Crossover Day, the 30th day of the session and a day many call the second-most important day of the session.
But for some bills, it is could be the most important day. Those bills that don’t make it for a floor vote today, are dead for another session.
Among those bills– House Bill 677 and House Resolution 807, which would set up casino gambling in the state; House Bill 722, which expands Georgia’s medical cannabis laws; and Senate Bill 330 that would allow for the expansion of MARTA in DeKalb and Fulton counties.
Although HB 677 and HR 807 sailed through committee last week, odds are not looking good for the legislation that would allow for four destination resort casinos in Georgia.
As initially presented, the bill states that 90 percent of the money from the four casinos would be used to save the HOPE scholarship, said sponsor Rep. Ron Stephens (R- Savannah). However, late Friday, lawmakers and lobbyists were circulating a proposed amendment to HR 807 that would have the revenues split among HOPE, health care and local property tax relief.
According to Majority Whip Matt Ramsey (R-Peachtree CIty), the initial legislation called for six casinos across the state. The new version — created after a series of hearings on casino gambling — would allow for four casinos — two in metro Atlanta, and two outside the metro region.
“We spent the summer looking at the proposals, and through the process we learned a great deal,” said Ramsey, who co-chaired a committee to study the proposed of casino gambling in Georgia.
The initial proposal also called for a 12 percent tax rate on revenues, but Ramsey said during committee hearings the new bill calls for a 20 percent tax rate. The new version also includes an increased licensing fee. A large destination resort facility in Atlanta would carry a $40 million licensing fee, while a secondary license in the Atlanta area would have a price tag of $25 million. Ramsey said the two regional licenses, for outside the metro area, would have licensing fee of $15 million each.
Another change in the bill focused on regulation. Initially, the casinos would have been under the regulatory control of the Georgia Lottery. However, under the newer version, they would fall under the governance of an independent gaming commission. The commission would be made up of five members, including an appointment by the Governor, the Attorney General, the Lt.Governor and Speaker of the House, and a fifth appointee.
The MARTA Expansion bill, introduced by Sen. Brandon Beach (R-Alpharetta) seems to be dead as Beach was unable to get it on the Senate calendar for a vote Friday. SB 330 would allow voters in DeKalb and Futon counties to decide in a ballot referendum whether to approve the rail expansion, which would be funded through a half penny sales tax. The bill passed out of the Transportation Committee, but its future remains uncertain.
According to reports, MARTA fired at least 17 outside lobbyists to gain support for this bill.
Rep. Allen Peake’s (R-Macon) medical marijuana expansion bill passed out of committee last week. However, it has not been scheduled for a floor vote yet. A large portion of Peake’s bill, HB 722, was pulled out during the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee hearings.That wording would have allowed a small number of legal pot cultivation operations in Georgia.
However, wording that would add nine illnesses to the list of eight that can legally use cannabis oil for treatment, remains in the bill. The conditions include autism, HIV, PTSD, peripheral neuropathy, tourette’s syndrome, terminal illness and the skin condition epidermolysis bullosa.
The problem remains that while patients in Georgia can use cannabis oil legally, they have no way to legally obtain it in the state, Peake said. The problem that remains for patients using cannabis oil legally, is they have no way of legally obtaining the drug in Georgia.
It doesn’t appear that this will change during this session.
Senate Bill 129, Sen. Josh McKoon’s (R-Columbus) Religious Freedom Restoration Act is still caught up in the House where is stalled last year.
Opponents argue that the legislation would allow discrimination against the gay community.
